This Comfort Soup Was Deemed Cheap In The '70s (But Is Considered Luxe Now)

Food trends are ever-changing. An ingredient that is considered cheap peasant food one day can evolve into a staple of fine dining years later. Lobster was famously considered food for the poor before its reputation shifted and it became the expensive, luxurious shellfish we know today. Lentil soup has experienced a similar trajectory.

A plentiful, affordable, dense source of essential nutrients like protein and fiber, lentils have been part of our diet since at least 8000 B.C.E. They are very popular to this day in Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, but cultures all over the world eat lentil soup, and in the U.S. in particular, lentil soup had a heyday in the 1970s as part of the natural, "hippie" food movement. Author Mollie Katzen's "The Moosewood Cookbook," first self-published in 1974, became an iconic resource for popular vegetarian and healthy recipes of the time and, of course, it included a lentil soup recipe.

But while the health food movement of the '70s did a lot to bring lentils back into the culinary mix, so to speak, many of the recipes of that time didn't prioritize flavor or indulgent ingredients. It was often all about getting the most nutrients from the healthiest, most organic ingredients while spending the least amount of money possible. When it comes to the lentil soup renaissance, it's safe to say that has changed.

Part of the reason lentil soup is seeing such a boom these days is that "lentil soup" is a vague term that encompasses so many different dishes from so many varied cultures with incredibly different and interesting flavor profiles. There are lentil soup recipes flavored with tarragon, parsley, and lemon. Sambhar is an Indian lentil stew made with warm spices like turmeric, mustard seeds, and sambhar masala. Red lentils can also be mixed with miso and mushrooms for an umami-packed soup.

Lentil soup can be chunky and hearty or pureed and silky. It can be meaty or vegan, brothy or creamy. The possibilities really are endless. Almost any flavor profile that you want can be achieved in a lentil soup. There are also several varieties of lentils that work best for different types of soup.

As lentil soup becomes more sought-after, high-end restaurants have started incorporating it into their menus. While the restaurant menu is constantly changing, there are increasing numbers of cook-at-home lentil soup boxes, which are often fool-proof. As palates expanded and a new appreciation for healthy, hearty ingredients that actually taste good took hold, lentils quietly emerged from the health-food purgatory in which they were stuck for decades, and we're all better for it.